Scientists from The University of Hong Kong scientists later claimed 12.1% of patients are not thought to develop a fever.

Dr James Gill, of the Warwick Medical School, said: “Let's assume asymptomatic patients are also spreaders.”

“If you go to the shops for a few items and encounter 30 people, which is reasonable in a big supermarket, you could potentially be exposed to people infected with the virus who are not showing signs.”

People in masks shop in a Brooklyn supermarket during the coronavirus pandemic in New York. (AP)

The coronavirus mainly spreads face-to-face via infected droplets that have been coughed or sneezed out.

Asymptomatic patients may not be coughing or sneezing, which could mean they pass the infection on less readily.

People may “pick up” the virus and then touch their eyes, nose or mouth, unwittingly infecting themselves.

Consumers can ‘unwittingly’ infect themselves with coronavirus

Prof Sally Bloomfield, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said that any virus contamination would “come from someone who has contaminated hands”.

“Although hands and hand-contact surfaces are thought to be a major contributor to spread, the main risk comes from ‘hand-contact surfaces recently and frequently touched by many other people’.

“If you think about it, the supermarket provides an ideal setting for this to occur – many people touching and replacing items, checkout belts, cash cards, car park ticket machine buttons, ATM payment buttons, paper receipts – not to mention being in the proximity of several other people”.

In an ideal scenario, all food would be dropped off at our front door.

Dr Gill said: “Food delivered to the home can be done via ‘no contact drops’, reducing direct exposure to whoever is dropping off the food.”

This can include asking the delivery driver to leave the shopping on the doorstep, rather than handing it over.

Theoretically, the virus could survive on packaging if bagged by contaminated hands.

“Initially the longevity of the virus may cause concern over home deliveries, until we remember that wiping over surfaces with simple dilute household bleach will inactivate the virus within one minute,” said Dr Gill.

“Food deliveries will carry a lower risk of exposure than going to the supermarket, and most people have bleach and a cloth to be able to wipe over those home deliveries, effectively eliminating risk”.

Although Prof Bloomfield stressed the likelihood of delivery shopping carrying the coronavirus is low.

“The items have probably been touched by relatively few people”, she said.

Likelihood of coronavirus on delivery shopping ‘low’

“If you want to take further precautions then place all the items in cupboards, fridge etc, where any residual viral infectivity will further decrease before you handle it again, and then wash your hands thoroughly.

“People often load the shopping in the car, get home hungry and open a bag of crisps, not realising their hands are dirty,” said Dr Lisa Ackerley, chartered environmental health practitioner and spokesperson for Jakemans.

Being in the comfort of our own vehicle may also encourage complacency.

“When we’re in a car, we’re in our own bubble and may rub our eyes as we drive along,” added Dr Ackerley.

The coronavirus shares some, but not all, symptoms with colds and flu. (Yahoo UK)

What is the coronavirus?

The coronavirus is one of seven strains of a class of viruses that are known to infect humans.

Others include the common cold and severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars), which killed 774 people during its 2002/3 outbreak.